Fasting Tips: Be quiet and Get Enough Sleep

By: Ron Lagerquist

"Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God."

Ecclesiastes 5:7

With pride come many words. Tame the tongue. Bring it into submission. Be silent. There is humility in silence. The literal interpretation of the word fast is to cover your mouth. The noise of words can cover insecurity, drowning the murmurs of a restless soul. What vulnerabilities does our face show when we are silent? We use words for boundaries, for protection, for meaningless distraction. Yet it is only in silence that we can quiet the soul to experience the awe of God, an experience of majestic greatness that transcends the emptiness of words. Some of the best times of quietness of meditation is just before falling asleep.

Get Enough Sleep

If you are going to detoxify you ought to do it on a good night’s sleep. The last thing you need during the difficult part of your fast is to be tired and overworked. It is worth investing time and energy toward a fast, as if you were investing in a vacation. We look forward to a vacation, saving money, planning as if it will become a highlight of our year. Fasting is a spiritual vacation with God, traveling to foreign parts of your character, learning more about yourself. Breaking old patterns and developing a brand new culture that will affect the rest of your life.

Most of us live on the edge, rarely getting the sleep that we need to function with clear-mindedness. During a fast it is essential that you get enough sleep. Come home from work, take a shower, and allow yourself time to quietly and restfully meditate and pray.